An illegal underground tunnel has been discovered in the border area of Tashkent and Kazakhstan, according to the State Security Service of Uzbekistan (SSS).
It is noted that SSS employees were quick to call a meeting to cooperate with the “Tashkent-Aero” specialized customs complex’s border troops and military personnel.
The gathering exposed a cross-border criminal group’s illegal importation of large quantities of substandard drugs from India through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan.
The drugs were brought into Almaty’s international airport via the Delhi-Tashkent-Almaty air route. The stash was then delivered to the Dostlik settlement in the Saryogoch district of the Turkestan region, Kazakhstan, and transferred onwards to Tashkent’s Orikzor neighbourhood, through a secret underground route.
The horde comprised 17,048 drugs, produced in India under 107 brands including Albumin, Remdesivir, and Meropenem. Valued at 1 billion 94 million UZS (approximately $87,096.82), the drugs were retained as evidence against the smugglers who are currently being held in detention.
Running a distance of 310 meters, the underground tunnel is a sophisticated construction furnished with air ventilation, lighting , carts, and ropes for cargo transportation.
In a previous post, The Times of Central Asia reported on the discovery of another secret tunnel connecting Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
